You are here

Political Theory

Department of Politics and International Relations,
Faculty of Social Sciences

Develop your philosophical skills and apply them to some of the most important political and ethical questions in contemporary life.

Course description

This MA is designed for students with an interest in contemporary political philosophy and its historical underpinnings. You'll study topics such as global justice, the environment, feminism, capitalism, equality, democracy and international political theory.

The course is taught jointly by the Departments of Philosophy and Politics, both leading departments in the UK with international reputations for teaching and research.

Modules

Core modules

Political Philosophy Research Seminar (taught by the Department of Philosophy)

Dissertation in Political Theory

Optional modules

Choose three optional modules from a range. Your optional modules must include at least one politics module. The other two optional modules can be philosophy or an eligible politics module.

Modules currently include:

Taught by the Department of Philosophy

Feminism

Global Justice

Philosophy of Law

The Political Philosophy of Climate Change

Taught by the Department of Politics

The Political Economy of Poverty and Inequality

Freedom

Capitalism and Crisis

Democratic Governance in the Twenty-first Century

Teaching

You’ll learn through lectures, seminars and tutorials. You’ll write a long essay for each module and a dissertation. If you’re going on to a PhD you may choose to write a PhD proposal.

Duration

1 year full-time

2 years part-time

Entry requirements

You’ll need a first-class or 2:1 honours degree from a UK university, or an equivalent grade from overseas.

A degree in philosophy, politics or a related subject is preferred, although we'll consider applicants from a wide range of disciplines, particularly if they can demonstrate other experience relevant to the programme.

English language requirements

Overall IELTS grade of 6.5 overall with 6 in each component, or equivalent.

Our masters courses are so exciting because you’ll have the opportunity to develop a genuine specialism in your area of study. As researchers it’s a real pleasure to share your latest work—in my case, on the political theory of animal rights—with students who are eager to learn and challenge!

Dr Alasdair Cochrane

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics

Apply

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.